5 Best Artsy Things {A Staycation in Clayton, GA}
Beautiful artsy product choices at Madison’s on Main in Clayton, GA
Author: ArtsyChowRoamer
5 Best Artsy Things
ABOUT A STAYCATION IN CLAYTON, GA
Traveling is still difficult to figure out during this pandemic but road trips seem the most logical choice. Road trips that explore new places in your own backyard create the new staycations of 2020. Looking through that lens we decided to explore Clayton, Georgia.
To our surprise, we found quite a few reasons to visit with really interesting options on things to see and do. This post will explore these options and give you the tips you need to plan your own staycation.
1-THE DRIVE TO THE DESTINATION
There are a variety of ways to get to Clayton from Atlanta or the surrounding suburbs and gated communities. Since we live in one of those gated communities we decided on the longest and most back roads way to get there hoping for good stops and places to see for photo ops.
Our route included little cut throughs that showcased large horse farms next door to single wide and double wides; small farmers were working the land and feeding cattle. The weather was absolutely perfect. Blue skies with the brightest of sun and a light breeze gave us the beginnings of fall color and the dropping of leaves.
Most of the small houses were decorated for the season with pumpkins, corn husks and scarecrows. We zigzagged along 136 and whizzed past a farm full of pumpkins and had to find a turn around opportunity to go back.
Bradley’s Farms was open for business selling all kinds of pumpkins, drinks, boiled peanuts and fried apple pies. I’m a serious fried pie fan and thought picking up some small pumpkins for the front porch would be a great idea.
It’s a super place to bring kids as they offer hay rides and have some great Halloween decorations up as well. Having felled a huge tree at some point they have cut off the limbs to form a prehistoric-like animal sculpture from which they have hung lanterns, pumpkins, lights and decorations that would look cool in the early evening light and night.
Bradley’s Farms is a fun stop on the drive to Clayton, GA
Meandering on along 19 and then 115 will take you past several large produce stands. We stopped to pick up fresh red , yellow and green tomatoes. Fresh corn on the cob, cucumbers and several jars of canned pickled beets were a must have as a favorite of my husbands.
We knew these buys would net a fabulous veggie dinner the next evening with a pan of yummy cornbread, beans and chow chow. There were a couple of little shacks with great barbeque along the route if you want to have lunch along the way.
Most offered at least a few outdoor options to sit and eat. Masks in this area were nowhere to be found BTW; not in the markets, restaurants or stores we popped into. We did notice there seemed to be an over abundance of Trump Pence signs and flags everywhere which might explain that.
Rolling on down the highway brought us into the pretty little town of Clayton and we immediately were taken back to a time like Andy Griffith-just in brilliant technicolor instead of black and white. It was that slow, quiet everybody knows your name feel of yesteryear.
The streets were busier than you would expect for a mid week visit and there was more traffic than we expected but this was coming into the busiest time of year for these kinds of destinations as everyone comes out to enjoy the weather and the changing season.
2-PLACES TO STAY
After doing my research it seemed like there were many different choices for where to stay offered in a variety of budgets from $60 a night all the way up to $300 and more. We decided on the White Birch Inn for several reasons.
Firstly, the location was great being right on Main Street where the shops, galleries and restaurants reside. You know the places you want to explore. Parking was right outside the door to check in while their long term parking was available in the back for unloading.
The cozy lobby of the White Birch Inn in Clayton, GA
Check in with Jenna was friendly and efficient with a quick tour around the property and an inspection of our room. We were immediately enchanted with the place; the warmth, design details and thoughtful planning makes for a true experience in this small hotel.
They think about your safety too requiring masks for check in and indoor social distancing. They have patios, screened in porches and parks that allow you to escape to eat, drink and socialize without congregating in big groups.
Their turn down service was on hold but the chocolates provided were laid out on individual room plates in the small lounge in the evenings. Cheese and wine from 4-5 came on cute individually wrapped trays in the same lounge with your choice of a wonderful red or white wine.
Our room was super nice with luxurious linens, amenities and details. Reading lights, robes, hair dryers, luggage racks and large bathroom were comfortable and nice to have. The dresser was big enough for a weeks stay.
I can’t say enough about this cozy well designed spot so unexpected in a small town and I write in more detail about it in my column in Smoke Signals and a coming blog post down the road. A mid week stay set us back $230 for the evening but included breakfast, wine and cheese, coffee/tea station and evening chocolates.
3-RESTAURANTS
One of the reasons I chose a staycation in Clayton was I had come across a listing in another article about the best places to eat in North Georgia. Since my gated community is in the same area naturally I was curious to see who they listed.
I also write about food and wanted to see if they talked about any place I hadn’t been to or written about before. Enter Fortify and Fortify Pi. I heard of neither but my curiosity was peaked by all the accolades heaped on the Owners and Chef.
A lot of folks say that these two restaurants were the beginning of the building of Clayton as a destination. Once they opened, shops and art galleries sprang up and more boutique hotels followed. With social distancing being practiced it was not just a suggestion to have a reservation for our evening meal at Fortify but a necessity.
Jack Nolan and Chef Jamie Allred have opened two of the best restaurants in town
Even when I went on the site the Saturday before our arrival on Wednesday, I couldn’t get in earlier than 6:30 but I did note a request on the reservation notes to call us if earlier availability came up. Luckily we got a call in the afternoon just after checking in at the hotel.
We got changed to opening time at 5 which is the safest time to eat in a restaurant these days. The servers were wearing masks and the tables were all laid out for social distancing. Cocktails were ordered and swiftly delivered along with letting us know what the specials were.
The menu is thoughtful and works around the farm to table concept but for real. Owners and Chef Jamie Allred and Jack Nolan list over 25 local farmers they are working with around their area on their website. They are committed to the support and quality of ingredients. Menus are developed and offered around this on a seasonal basis.
Fortify Pi is located next door to it’s sister restaurant and is a much more casual place with an emphasis on the pi-make that pizza pie. They offer their own mixes and recipes but you can make your own with different priced categories of ingredients. We enjoyed our meals and a more extensive review will be coming in a post down the road.
4-SHOPPING
There were so many cute shops on Main Street and off the many side roads. As we took our first walkabout we popped in and out of clothing, home goods, furniture and gift stores. The shops were as pretty as any you would see in the Atlanta retail market.
Madison’s on Main was a favorite as the owner had a good eye offering unusual clothing and jewelry picks arranged with lovely gift and accessories such as books, flowers, picture frames and vases. Furniture in a fresh modern farmhouse style was set against beautiful rugs, pillows and art telling me somebody has a little interior designer going on.
A couple more favorites were Dogwoods Home and The Barn. Dogwoods boasts a mixture of new and vintage with old and modern goods and a customer lifestyle approach to their offerings. The Barn is a part of the Treehouse company which offers home, clothing, jewelry, bath and body products. The location we went in was mostly home goods, art and gifts. We found a couple of items in both stores that made their way back home with us.
Finally, we popped into The Clayton Cafe and Market which was a fabulous mixture of things. Part restaurant, part cafe, bakery, wine bar and shopping all mixed in. A delightful range of seating options with cushions and pillows and spots to socially distance were scattered around everywhere.
A wine bar with a really nice selection of 10 or so labels offered seating for 6 or seven. A cozy foursome of comfy chairs and a fireplace made for the perfect spot to sit and listen to local musicians on Saturday nights. We had a glass of wine and bought vanilla hazelnut Danish for breakfast the next morning.
We found gifts for a hostess bag in reusable straws, bourbon pecans, honey butter spread, Georgia cheese biscuits and a cute black and white tea towel with a farming motif. We got out the door with all for less than $60. I’ll expand on this place in a later blog as well.
Fireplace seating at The Clayton Cafe & Market is the perfect comfy spot for wine
5-ARTSY KINDS OF STUFF EVERYWHERE
This little town is considered to be very artsy and offers quite a bit from that standpoint. Besides specific art galleries, many of the home stores and restaurants are showcasing local artists on the walls. We spent time in several different places and came away with some good ideas of the kind of choices available for people to buy.
Main Street Gallery specializes in self-taught art with an emphasis on Southern folk pottery and hand made furniture. Crawford Gallery is owned by a husband and wife team carrying their own paintings and photography in a wildlife and nature theme. They also offer framing. They were looking forward to participating in the upcoming yearly Charleston market should the pandemic allow it in February.
Butler Galleries, a conglomeration of 12 dealer stalls, offered antiques, fine art, furniture, accessories, home goods and gifts. There is something for everyone in this store.
Some of the beautiful choices of folk art at Main Street gallery are shown above. Check out their website for more, A few paintings at Crawford Art Gallery are highlighted below. Check their website for photography and framing information.
CONCLUSION
I think you can see from the above what the 5 best artsy things about a staycation in Clayton, Georgia would be. Why wouldn’t someone want to have a scenic drive, wonderful boutique hotels, good restaurants, great shopping and an artsy neighborhood to stroll around in for a weekend?
Many of these places were also trying to do their best to keep customers safe by requiring masks, social distancing and having hand sanitizer readily available. This made us feel much more comfortable about taking a road trip for an adventure and stepping out of the safety of our own home.
Staycations really aren’t so very bad ya know? If you feel like getting out, try taking a trip to Clayton and enjoy the fall season as the leaves are changing. I think you’ll find plenty to like.
If you liked what you read, you might also enjoy reading more posts under Artful Ideal and Explore the World. Don’t be a stranger. If you visit Clayton, let me know what you think OK? Until next time…
Cheers,
ArtsyChowRoamer
PS Look for longer posts with more information on the places above including restaurant reviews and other areas we visited while on this road trip….coming soon!
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